The tall undergrowth swayed with the soft wind. The wolf moved among it, leaving a trail of its path, with its deep wound grazing against the vegetation, leaving a trail of blood that mixed with the earth and humidity. In its mind, it was reviewing its current situation.
-(Shit! Shit! My adrenaline dropped, and now it's hurting a lot! Damn wild creatures, they're only governed by their instinct, invisible codes that are so complex to understand. They attack me because I don't fit into that shitty language, so what? Next time I'll make sure to kill them, but first I have to treat myself)-
*Chemical applied [Analgesic][Antipyretic]*
And as nightfall approached, the sun was setting, and the light barely touched the treetops.
Still enduring the intense pain, a strong but brief smell reached its nose. It could smell blood, and the sound of footsteps could be heard nearby. A silent movement among the bushes interrupted the wolf's path. It stopped to investigate. Using its sense of smell, it managed to find the whereabouts of the blood; it was behind some dense bushes. It smelled of fear.
At the end of the vegetation, there was a small, very steep slope, a small place where the trees and bushes dissipated and surrounded this spot.
At the bottom of the slope, it found a young deer. Its fur still had white spots, signs that it hadn't matured yet, but one thing that stood out more was the wound it had on its twisted front leg. It had already bled a lot, and its gaze—a mixture of alertness, fear, and disorientation—revealed that it had been separated from its herd.
-(What is this deer doing so far from its friends? Wait, isn't this my best opportunity to get more mutations? Besides, this body needs a recovery of nutrients; wouldn't it be better to devour it?)-
The virus analyzed the form of the deer's trembling, with an unnatural gaze it emanated, only staring fixedly at the deer. The small deer, with its eyes pointing at the wolf, trembled with fear, breathing heavily. It wanted to flee as quickly as possible, although it could no longer respond due to its exhaustion. Its body seemed to understand; in a last effort, it got up to run in the opposite direction, trying to climb the steep slope, but its legs could barely stay standing. With falls and stumbles, it couldn't do anything.
-(What is it trying to do? Is it so desperate to flee? It's a terrible shame, but you have to understand this is a natural process of the fittest; I'm not doing anything wrong. I'll be quick; you'll barely feel anything.)-
Going down the slope, it approached the deer, which was still trying to climb. It didn't realize that the wolf was already beside it. Its body couldn't take it anymore and collapsed. Face to face with the wolf, a cold, soulless gaze observed it. It wasn't seeing a predator looking at prey; rather, it was seeing something that looked at it as just another resource. Although the young deer didn't understand it, it was already paralyzed—the exhaustion, the fear, and its heavy breathing. It was clear that it was facing death.
*Applying [Ferocity]*
In an instant, the wolf opened its jaw and bit its neck, burying its fangs. The deer shuddered, trying to escape, but its body began to fail, and it became still. The young deer saw its last moments: a night sky, a sea of stars that barely filtered through the foliage of the trees, a silent wind that caressed the vegetation, the humid smell of the earth, the crunching of its flesh being chewed, the warm blood flowing that it felt, the cold sensation of losing its senses—these were the last things it remembered.
A buzz and an announcement interrupted the wolf's meal.
*New absorbed abilities acquired:*
*[Acute Hearing I][Jump I][Balance I]*
-(Waahoo! New abilities! At this rate, I'll be able to avenge myself on those wolves, although I'll need more abilities, but first I must satisfy my nutrients)-
A second buzz and an announcement were heard.
*Due to abilities [Smell II] and [Acute Hearing I], a new mutation has been added.*
*[Enhanced Senses I]*
*New base ability added:*
*[Synthesize I]*
-(What? Wait, did you say new mutation? I can mutate and synthesize abilities?! Fascinating! So some abilities can synergize and mutate; if they're similar and have similar functions, can they add a new ability?! This is truly a new door! The combinations are incredible! Could I also mutate abilities?! Is it possible?! I have to do it!)-
With enthusiasm, the virus tried to form a mental image of some of its abilities: [Jump I][Agility I] seemed most likely to mutate. It didn't ask or order, but the system responded with a buzz and an announcement confirming its theory.
*Request registered: Forced mutation: Accepted*
*Following abilities in forced mutation: [Agility] + [Jump]*
*New mutations acquired:*
*[Strength I][Precise Movement I]*
-(Did I do it? I did it! Damn, it worked; it's incredible! Praise be to whoever made this system!)-
While in its mind it was happy about such a discovery, it felt a chill that went from its head to its tail. It noticed that something was out of place, looking around. Its breathing became more measured, almost meditative, while its pupils dilated, absorbing every fragment of light that filtered through the branches. The world seemed sharper. The sound of the soft wind among the swaying leaves, the birdsong heard in the distance, the fresh air caressing its soft fur, the fresh smell of the damp grass it gave off, the taste of iron in the meat, the blood that was still warm—processing each stimulus with clarity.
-(Ooooh! What madness, this improvement is phenomenal; so that's how it works. I'm getting very dizzy; so many things I have to process. This ability scrambled my mind. I have to try the other ability [Precise Movement].)-
Moving cautiously, preparing its body and breathing.
*Applying [Precise Movement]*
Testing its new ability, its paws responded with precision as if it were its old body; each muscle seemed to have been refined. It took a long jump toward a rock that protruded from the slope and landed without any difficulty.
Looking at the deer's corpse from below, it thought the deer's death was necessary; it was just one more step to recover what it had lost, one more step in its evolution. A necessary step.
But in the middle of that thought, a pang of pain from the open wound reminded it that its body was still weak. Although the created analgesic had mitigated the sensation, the flesh that was still torn was visible to any living being.
-(I can't waste time; every second counts. This forest is full of threats; I must get more Symptoms, more Lethality, more Infectivity. I must do it for "him"; I couldn't save him in time, but in this life, I swear he'll live! But the most important thing now is to close this wound.)-
Moving away from the place, it ventured to explore more of the forest. The night was clearer; it had settled completely. Advancing, it found a wide, shallow river with very clear and crystalline water. It drank some of its water, and it was very fresh.
*New symptom acquired: [Diarrhea I].*
It washed in the river to remove the smell of blood and clean the wound a bit. The fresh air that blew, the moon that was reflected in the water of the wide river, the cold sensation of the water soaking its fur, the sounds of the animals that lived nearby—everything invaded it with sensations.
-(I wonder if "he" would have liked this landscape; he would have been fascinated.)-
In its thoughts, it became nostalgic and melancholic. It crossed the river with a jump.
It advanced further into the forest, moving forward without looking back, still in its mind, which kept spinning between the pain. The undergrowth became less dense, and the trees began to separate and surround a natural clearing. In the center, a giant tree, supported by a protruding rock, rose like an ancient altar, forgotten by time, covered with moss and roots that enveloped it.
It approached cautiously. When circling the stone, it noticed a small opening at its base, barely visible among the roots that embraced it. It crouched down, sniffed the interior, and perceived dry air, with no traces of blood or threat. It was a refuge. A place to rest.
-(This place... seems like a good place to rest and recover from this wound. There are no predators nearby, no signs of other wild creatures; that's good. I don't want to face fools who are governed by their instincts.)-
It slowly entered the hole, which expanded into a small underground cavity, not very deep. The ground was earthy and damp but firm; the ceiling was low, forcing it to stay crouched. But even so, the narrow space was enough to settle in. It stretched its body backward to relieve its pain and curled up to rest.
-(Although despite being a virus and not needing rest, the pain and fatigue of my recipients, I can experience them firsthand, as if this body belonged to me. Everything seems like an illusion, a simple dream. This day has brought me intense things; I would never have ventured to explore in my other life. I was always worried about him, but everything will end; it will just be one of my dreams that happen in my day-to-day. My life will go on as always. Alone...)-
And so, with the night as a glow, in the bowels of the stone cavity, the wolf finally resting, and the virus that was still conscious after its body rested, decided to sleep to try to recover the feeling of feeling renewed. Without a fixed course, but with a goal, it was just an entity that only sought evolution. And its mind stopped thinking.